The 2015 Codex
Questions 71 to 80 (Set A)
In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used?
1. Assessment of crop productivity
2. Locating groundwater resources
3. Mineral exploration
4. Telecommunications
5. Traffic studies
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
This tests the core distinction between ISRO's two main satellite fleets: IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) and INSAT/GSAT (Indian National Satellite System).
- IRS satellites (like RESOURCESAT, CARTOSAT, OCEANSAT) are Earth Observation satellites placed in polar orbits. They take "pictures" of the Earth. Therefore, they are used for mapping natural resources: Crop productivity assessment (1), Groundwater locating (2), and Mineral exploration (3).
- Telecommunications (4) is handled exclusively by geostationary communication satellites (INSAT/GSAT series), not remote sensing.
- Traffic studies (5) in the context of urban planning were not a primary application of traditional IRS satellites in 2015, and combined with 4 being definitively wrong, option A is the only correct grouping.
The Earth Observer
The Rain Catchers
Consider the following States:
1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Himachal Pradesh
3. Mizoram
In which of the above States do 'Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests' occur?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests require immense rainfall (over 250 cm annually) and high humidity.
In India, these forests are strictly confined to the western slope of the Western Ghats, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the North-Eastern region. Therefore, both Arunachal Pradesh (1) (in its lower elevations) and Mizoram (3) host significant tracts of Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests.
Himachal Pradesh (2) is entirely situated in the Western Himalayas and experiences a totally different climate profile (Sub-tropical, Temperate, and Alpine). It does not have the heat and year-round rainfall required for Tropical Wet Evergreen forests.
Route: [REALM 14: Natural Vegetation of India]The term 'IndARC', sometimes seen in the news, is the name of
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) India's underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region
Deployed in 2014 by scientists from the ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), IndARC is India's first multi-sensor moored underwater observatory. It was deployed in the Kongsfjorden fjord of Svalbard, Norway, located in the Arctic region. Its purpose is to continuously collect massive amounts of oceanographic data to study the impact of Arctic climate variations on the Indian Monsoon system.
Note: The trap in option C is the location. India's stations in the *Antarctic* are Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati. IndARC is in the *Arctic*.
Route: [REALM 388: India's Polar Expeditions]The Arctic Sentinel
The REDD+ Bank
With reference to 'Forest Carbon Partnership Facility', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society and indigenous peoples.
2. It provides financial aid to universities, individual scientists and institutions involved in scientific forestry research to develop eco-friendly and climate adaptation technologies for sustainable forest management.
3. It assists the countries in their 'REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+)' efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is a global multi-stakeholder partnership administered by the World Bank.
- Statements 1 & 3 are True: It brings together governments, businesses, civil society, and indigenous people to help developing countries design and implement their national REDD+ strategies, providing immense financial and technical assistance to reduce forest emissions.
- Statement 2 is False: The FCPF is an institutional capacity-building and carbon finance mechanism for sovereign nations. It does not operate as a research grant organization dispensing financial aid to individual scientists or university research labs to invent eco-technologies.
Which one of the following was given classical language status recently?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Odia
In 2014, the Union Cabinet approved the classification of Odia as a "Classical Language." It became the sixth language to receive this prestigious status, joining Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), and Malayalam (2013). To qualify, a language must have an independent, highly ancient literary tradition (1500-2000 years old) with a body of ancient literature considered a heritage by generations of speakers.
Route: [REALM 30: Classical Languages of India]The Sixth Classic
The Avian Network
With reference to an organization known as 'BirdLife International', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a Global Partnership of Conservation Organizations.
2. The concept of 'biodiversity hotspots' originated from this organization.
3. It identifies the sites known/referred to as 'Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas'.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
BirdLife International is a massive global network of conservation NGOs (like the BNHS in India).
- Statements 1 and 3 are True: It operates as a global partnership and its most famous scientific contribution is identifying and designating Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) worldwide to direct conservation efforts.
- Statement 2 is False: This is a classic foundational trap. The concept of "biodiversity hotspots" was NOT originated by BirdLife International. It was famously coined by the British environmentalist Norman Myers in a seminal 1988 paper, and later popularized by Conservation International.
Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia does not open out to the Mediterranean Sea?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Jordan
This requires a precise mental map of the Levantine coast in the Middle East.
Looking at the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea from north to south, the countries that directly border the Mediterranean are Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel (and Egypt further south).
Jordan is geographically locked behind Israel and Syria. It does NOT touch the Mediterranean Sea. Its only maritime access is a tiny sliver of coastline at Aqaba, which opens southward into the Red Sea (via the Gulf of Aqaba).
Route: [REALM 122 TO 140: Middle East Map Locations]The Levantine Coast
The Monsoon Timber
In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Tropical moist deciduous forest
Tropical Moist Deciduous forests are the most widespread forest type in India (often called Monsoon Forests). They exist in areas receiving rainfall between 100 to 200 cm, shedding their leaves for about six to eight weeks in the dry spring to conserve water.
The absolute most commercially important and dominant tree species in these specific forests (especially in Central India and the foothills of the Western Ghats/Himalayas) are Teak (Tectona grandis), Sal, Shisham, and Sandalwood.
Route: [REALM 14: Natural Vegetation of India]'Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action', often seen in the news, is
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) an agenda for women's empowerment, an outcome of a World Conference convened by the United Nations
In 1995, the United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. The resulting document—the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—was a historic, watershed resolution unanimously adopted by 189 countries. It remains the most comprehensive and progressive global agenda ever created for gender equality and the empowerment of women, covering critical areas like poverty, education, health, and violence against women.
Note: The examiner uses the city "Beijing" to trick candidates into guessing Asian regional treaties like SCO (A) or APEC (B).
Route: [REALM 183: UN Conferences & Social Declarations]The Historic Agenda
The 4 O'Clock Showers
Which of the following regions is described in the above passage?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Equatorial
This perfectly describes the diurnal (daily) weather pattern of the Equatorial climate (found near the Amazon basin, Congo basin, and Indonesia).
Because the sun is directly overhead, intense morning heating causes rapid evaporation. By afternoon, this moisture forms towering cumulonimbus clouds, resulting in heavy, short-lived convectional rainfall accompanied by lightning (famously known as the "4 o'clock showers"). By evening, the sky clears up. This identical cycle repeats almost 365 days a year without distinct seasons.
Note: Mediterranean has winter rain. Monsoon has seasonal rain (months of rain, months of dry). Savannah has a long dry season with distinct summer rains.
Route: [REALM 11: World Climates (Koeppen)]